In this month’s edition of Product Picks, Australian tech editor Matt Wikstrom takes a look at an aluminium cassette from BDop, race tyres from Clément, winter gloves from Phew, Silca’s new range of tubeless vales and rim tape, a spoke tension meter from Wheel Fanatyk, and trophy decals from Didits.

Phew Early Winter Gloves

by Matt Wikstrom

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Phew is a UK company with a small catalogue of clothing, bike gear, and accessories. Their early winter glove takes advantage of a lightweight, windproof, and breathable fabric called Windster to protect the hands in temperatures 3-12°C.

Windster is a polyester nylon blend that is brushed on the inside for a soft, warm touch. The light fabric reduces the bulk of the glove while Phew have opted for extra long cuffs to seal out the cold air. Silicone grippers have been added to the palm and fingers for extra grip and there is gel padding for the ulnar nerve region.

Phew’s early winter gloves are available in one colour (black) and four sizes (S-XL).

Our take:

Phew’s early winter gloves hit their target with ease. The gloves are immediately warm and welcoming and offered plenty of protection from winter conditions on the west coast of Australia. At the same time, I never had any trouble with my hands overheating, and the close fit of the gloves meant I never fumbled with my shifters.

For many Australian cyclists, this glove will serve the entirety of winter. Phew makes no claims about the water-resistance of their gloves but a test under running water showed that the gloves are quick to get wet, so I wouldn’t count them as a wet weather glove.

I could only identify one shortcoming for this glove and it was related to the fit. I have long fingers and a relatively narrow hand, so while a size Large matched the width of my hand perfectly, I needed extra length in the fingers. This was most obvious for the thumb and forefinger, especially when holding the brake hoods.